Not Your Girl Scouts Thin Mints

So, has this ever happened to you? It's Sunday afternoon and you want to bake some chocolate chip cookies. You pre-heat the oven, get everything ready and then you realize you are missing a key ingredient. In my case, it was brown sugar. I looked at it this way...I had two options. 1) go without cookies or 2) improvise. I chose to make a delicious cookie without brown sugar! And out of this experience was born the

Not Your Girl Scouts Thin Mints

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tbl honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp mint extract

2 eggs

2 cups chopped Andes Mints

Mint flavored baking discs, for melting

(green food coloring optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and mint in large mixer until creamy. Add honey. Add and mix eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in Andes Mints.

Drop spoonfuls on UNGREASED baking sheet. Allow 2 inches in between drops because the cookies flatten out quite a bit.

Bake for 10 mins at 375 degrees. Allow cookies to cool ON baking sheet for a few minutes. If you try and remove them to soon they will fall apart. Carefully transfer cookies to cooling rack once they've set up.

After all your cookies have been baked and cooled. Melt some mint flavored baking chips (or you can add mint extract to any chocolate chips you have in your pantry).

I put my cookies on parchment paper for easy clean up.

Drizzle ooey-gooey minty goodness over your thin mint cookies.

And now what you've got is a thin, crispy, yet chewy cookie with yummy chocolatey-minty yumminess in your belly. Keep a glass of cold milk close by and ENJOY!

Norah Picasso???

We decided to let Norah express a little creativity this weekend by experimenting with some [edible] water colors. 

Mix 2 parts water with 1 part corn starch and food coloring. I just wanted a dab of a color or two because I knew the first thing she would do was dump the colors (and I was right).

I mixed 2 Tbl water + 1 Tbl corn starch + 2 drops food coloring. 

I gave her a little craft sponge that I had for her to "paint" with. You could see the little knobs in her head turning as she inspected this new device. It was a fun new change from just sitting on the floor throwing toys around. Introducing new things to help with your child's mental and physical development are SO important. So if you are snowed in with your little ones this winter (as many of this part of the region are) whip up some colorful water paints and let your kids go nuts. They will make a mess and that's okay! It's 100% washable on all surfaces!!!

"Whats this?"

"Does it taste good?"

"I'll just dump this out, whatever it is..."

"Hmmm, new colors..."

"Oh HI mom!"

"I think this is how you do it."

"Mom's clapping, I think I did it right!"

"The pink tastes okay"

"Hello Sadie."

My two gals...making a mess, making memories :)

9 Months

Okay, so it's official. Nine months is my favorite age. I think this each month but I really do think it's true this time! She has SO MUCH personality! I just love it.

We had her nine month check up the other day and per the charts, she's going to be short and fat lol. 

Height: 27.5 in (41%)

Weight: 20.5 lbs (81%)

I don't know how that can be! Both Daniel and I are tall...well she's got some time to catch up! Fun new things she's doing is "give kisses." It's my favorite thing right now! I say, "Norah, give momma a kiss." And she leans in and give you a sweet slobbery kiss! We're working on waving "bye bye" right now. Still not crawling yet (I know right). But she can pull herself up and gets on all fours like she's gonna take off, but nada. She's a giggle machine and will play and interact with you for HOURS! If I'm lucky, Sadie will take a turn and "play" with her for a bit while I get a few things done (still trying to get that on video). 

Norah is still pretty much is the center of our lives and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

Valentine's

Well it is to be expected that even though Daniel and I are not the biggest Valentine's Day supporters we always do a little something for each other. I made Dan breakfast in bed (I don't think I've ever done that for him before)! And bought him a pair of those winter gloves that you can use on your iPad and iPhone...? I saw them and thought it might like them and he did, score!

Daniel went above and beyond his usual Valentine's Day duties...I not only got flowers, but chocolates too! AND the Notebook on Blue Ray! Well done husband, well done.

Other than that we kept things low key. No fancy dinner or expensive jewelry is needed here. Just a day hanging out with this little lovey dovey is all I needed. And that's all we did all.day.long :) 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Snow-pocalypse!

Okay, so some of you may think this is not a lot of snow but this was just the beginning! A few hours later and I couldn't even get out of the drive way! 

Sadie loves it, I hate it. Daniel deals with it. 

Have I mentioned I hate snow? 

Sunshine State

Daniel was called down south for another long business trip. By south I mean really south, as in South America. He was gone for 2 weeks so Norah and I took advantage and decided to abandon the Michigan winter for a bit and visit Aunt Stephanie in Orlando for a week. And it was more than worth the 2 1/2 hour flight alone with an 8 month old...each way.

For starters my bestie from college lives in the area so we caught up with Hannah and her darling baby Fiona. Norah and Fiona don't know it yet but they will be besties soon one day! 

We had a couple play dates and it still baffles me how much life changes you. Nearly 10 years ago Hannah and I were college freshmen getting in all sorts of trouble and now we're MOMMY'S!!! Love you Nanner's :)

The rest of the time Norah and I spent in my favorite state we just enjoyed the Florida sun. The weather could not have been more perfect. Cloudless, sunshine, 75-80 degrees every single day. I actually considered leaving Daniel until spring comes to Michigan. But Norah told me she would miss her daddy too much. The sacrifices we make sometimes...lol

I love visiting my sister for no reason other than just to hang out with my best friend! Norah and I might have to make this an annual thing. Until I have to pay for her plane ticket... So that means we can do this one more time lol. 

Thanks for a great week :)